Rest from Corona's dismay. Steps to prevent obsessive-compulsive disorder

Zahraa Magdy

The World Health Organization recommends washing hands for up to 20 seconds whenever we touch surfaces in places where others share them, to limit the spread of the new Corona virus, which has infected tens of thousands around the world.

People with Obsessive Compulsive Diseases usually marvel at the occurrence of certain behaviors, but these patients have a common psychological condition.

Experts expect high levels of disorder to increase if the Corona virus continues, and the hand-washing process turns from a way to protect yourself to an unjustified urgent desire, and that the Corona virus becomes all we think of.

A compulsive disorder is an appropriate threat to epidemics
Obsessive-compulsive patients have obsessive thoughts that lead to compulsive behaviors, to the point that they are most incompatible with daily life.

According to the British National Health Service website, obsessive-compulsive disorder can be described as obsessive, whether obsessive thoughts, images, desire, or fear of something constantly pressing your mind, causing stress and anxiety, and prompting you to do something to relieve bad feelings, such as being a cause of death in your family or baby.

Obsessive-compulsive crises recur in difficult times, such as wars and epidemics. In the 1980s, the height of fear of HIV infection was at its height.

And American psychiatrist Judith Rapoport wrote in her book "The Boy Who Can Not Stop Laundry" that by 1989 a third of OCD patients had focused on HIV and created their worst imaginations.

Doctors in the United States also reported an increase in what they called syphilis, which coincided with a campaign to highlight the risks of the disease. In 2012, Australian scientists reported the first cases of obsessive-compulsive disorder in people who focused on climate change-related ideas.

How to protect yourself?
1- Washing hands to reduce the risk of the spread of the Corona virus is a rational response to a real threat, but if your skin is torn and flamed or your hands are red you are exaggerated in cleaning them, wash your hands but not excessively, and follow the recommendations of the World Health Organization on hand washing well, and cleaning between the fingers with water Soap for 20 seconds is enough to protect you from the Corona virus.

A small to medium hand wash can be used to monitor your consumption instead of large packages, to avoid the addiction of antiseptics and soaps.

2- The signs of obsessive-compulsive disorder are clear and different from the "normal" response to the Coronavirus. A person with OCD will wash until he feels comfortable, not clean.

So, keep track of how often you wash your hands, and have you ever touched surfaces that are shared by strangers? Or are you in your room and on your desk that you cleared minutes ago?

3- In some cases, reassurance may be sufficient to stop the compulsive behaviors, such as contacting the World Health Organization on WhatsApp number (0041225017023), to ensure that Chinese food does not necessarily transmit the Corona virus, or that a 60% alcohol bottle is sufficient for disinfection, and that a virus Corona does not travel through the air, and does not mock your thoughts if there is a way to test their validity.

4- Corona virus caused us to be in a state of uncertainty, due to the many conflicting news around us, and fear and the inability to tolerate uncertainty are common characteristics of many anxiety disorders, so it is understood that many individuals who suffer from pre-existing anxiety face challenges at the time Present.

That is why the British Mental Health Association's spokeswoman, Rosie Weatherwell, has advised you to reduce your time to follow the news, choose reliable sources of information such as the World Health Organization, in order not to panic, and start thinking about nightmarish scenarios.

5- Get a break from following the horror of the world from the Corona virus on social media, as it feels like you have to stay informed and search for all the rumors.

You can also cancel the follow-up of accounts whose owners publish negative speculations about the future, or criticize health systems, dealings with officials and governments, and exit from Corona groups that have spread over the past days on Facebook and WhatsApp, and replace all this by reading a book and watching comedies.

6- The self-isolation that we impose on ourselves can make more room for boredom, obsessions, and a lot of time to wash hands, imagine dark scenarios, fear and cry over relatives, so keep in touch with whom you love.

Ask them about their phone numbers, Facebook accounts, or email, and restore life to your relationships with people that delight you.

7- If you choose to isolate yourself even while you are out of danger in anticipation of any threat, you can strike a balance between having a routine and making sure that there is diversity in each day, you can organize fixed dates for work and eating, but try doing activities that you haven't been used to before, such as cooking, or cultivating Shade plants, or find a way to brew your favorite drinks in the café to make your own.

8- If you are not required to work from home and you are on vacation that has no end, then you must help yourself before you turn into a person without a target, tense and addicted to thinking negatively.

You can create a new routine and new habits and stick to them by rewarding yourself as you complete them, wake up every day and bathe and clean your room, commit to studying a new educational program, exercising, or developing your skills in your current job.

9- Psychiatrists always recommend that their patients go out during the day, go in the sun and take a stroll in the gardens, but does this advice apply these days?

Caroline Kanoscisio, director of research at the American Public Health Center, believes that the safety of the world keeps you one meter between you and others, but you can still go out and meet friends and walk a little, so you can agree with a friend or family to strictly reduce external contact, then communicate with each other to support Each other.

It is also possible to go out on main streets that are not crowded, to stay at a sufficient distance from others and to repeat this whenever you feel the need, but if you are sick with symptoms of cold or flu, isolation is best until your recovery, according to the guidelines of the CDC.